2017 AMC 10B Problem 24

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24.

The vertices of an equilateral triangle lie on the hyperbola xy=1,xy=1, and a vertex of this hyperbola is the centroid of the triangle. What is the square of the area of the triangle?

4848

6060

108108

120120

169169

Answer: C
Concepts:hyperbolaequilateral trianglecentroidsymmetry
Difficulty rating: 2380
Solution:

By symmetry, assume that the centroid is the hyperbola vertex G=(1,1).G=(1,1). At least two triangle vertices lie on the same branch of the hyperbola. They cannot both lie on the negative branch: if two of their xx-coordinates were negative, the third would exceed 3,3, while the sum of the three yy-coordinates would be less than 1/3,1/3, contradicting that their centroid is (1,1).(1,1). Thus two vertices lie on the positive branch.

Write these vertices as P=(a,1/a)P=(a,1/a) and Q=(b,1/b),Q=(b,1/b), where a,b>0.a,b>0. The centroid of an equilateral triangle is also its circumcenter, so PP and QQ are equidistant from G.G. For t>0,t>0, the squared distance from (t,1/t)(t,1/t) to GG is (t+1t)(t+1t2).\left(t+\dfrac1t\right)\left(t+\dfrac1t-2\right). This is strictly increasing as t+1/tt+1/t increases from 2,2, so the distinct points must satisfy b=1/a.b=1/a. Hence PP and QQ are reflections across y=x.y=x.

The third vertex lies on the perpendicular bisector y=x.y=x. Its coordinates also satisfy xy=1,xy=1, so it is either (1,1)(1,1) or (1,1).(-1,-1). It cannot equal the centroid, so it is (1,1).(-1,-1). Therefore, the circumradius is the distance from (1,1)(1,1) to (1,1),(-1,-1), namely 22.2\sqrt2.

Dividing the equilateral triangle into three triangles at its center gives its area as 312(22)2sin120=63.3\cdot\dfrac12(2\sqrt2)^2\sin120^\circ=6\sqrt3. The square of the area is (63)2=108.(6\sqrt3)^2=108.

Thus, the correct answer is C .

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